Governing the Stars
by XEmoMidnaX
Summary: On a quest to reveal Jegran, a fall plunged Keiss and Belle into a forgotten world unscathed by Lilty dominance. With returning being no cakewalk, Alfitaria was usurped by chaos and fear. Two Selkies held the world's fate, racing against time itself...
1. An Errand

**A/N: This is my first proper non Legend of Zelda fan fiction, a FFCC fic that consists of aspects from the entire series, My Life as a Dark Lord being the only exception. The fact that I may involve King Leo and Chime brings MLaaK into the story. This is a Crystal Bearers fic that takes place directly after the Aerial Prison, and follows the story of Keiss and Belle after Layle sends them on an errand. It's written in Keiss' point of view and may contain some Keiss/Belle later on =3.**

**I hope you enjoy. **

Governing the Stars

An errand

Let's go back several thousand years to begin with. To a time when Tribal Unity wasn't a party the Palace holds every year without fail, but actually meant something. When the cloth of our world was tightly knit and seldom a loose thread could be found, no matter how many times it was stepped on and held. That is when my story began, all those many millennia ago. However, I'm to begin years into the future, when that cloth had be shredded to bits and was lying in ruin on an unstable surface, ready to vanish into nothing with one slight nudge. The events I'd just witnessed only proved my theory more.

The Selkie tribe were running off into the distance, towards safety and hospitality. That would be the case if they didn't stop trying to rob people in the Prison. I would have thought the few that weren't buried under the sands in the far desert wasteland, turned into a crystalline form created in such a way that it detained the Lilty tribe for ever in Selkie eyes, especially in mine, would have the dignity to respect the dead and give up their reckless ways. What the Lilties had done for me surpassed general annoyance and was bordering on making me feel like ripping them to shreds. Aside from Althea of course. I watched the last of the broken tribe leave the desert, scowling at the Lilty guards and trying to help a few prisoners of their own tribe escape too, though frankly they seemed to be getting no where. At least they were happy, despite the events prior. I guessed they hadn't actually seen what happened after Goldenrod saved them from impending doom, so they had nothing to be upset or traumatised about, lest they'd lost someone important to them.

They had though.

As three pairs of eyes fell upon the cloud of sand and dust that was plummeting into the air and slowly falling, just like the tears I couldn't hold back, I allowed reality to swallow me whole and the truth I'd been trying to deny take custody of my emotions.

"Vaigali…"

Buried under the sand so far away, was the remains of a true hero in Selkie legend. A man who had done so much for the tribe of ruffians that were his kin, a man who had done so much for the world. Without him, I'd surely have been killed out there, and it'd be my body buried in the sand. I probably would have been killed by that falling piece of metal though, if he hadn't knocked me out of the way and wound up taking the fatal blow for me. I thought he'd hated me for joining Lilty forces.

"Jegran's going to pay," I mumbled, balling my hand into a fist and scowling.

"We can't do anything about it Keiss," Layle's monotone voice seemed comforting when I felt all alone. I'd hurt him too, by working for the dastardly High Commander, yet he still paid me respect and spoke to me as a friend, "all our evidence is buried under a mound of sand in the middle of nothing. I highly doubt even if investigations are carried out over the fall of the Aerial Prison that they'll find anything. All the Selkies will have been reduced to Crystal dust ."

Something about that made my blood boil and I turned to face him so abruptly that I kicked a splay of sand into the air and made myself cough.

"Althea," I rasped, my eyes streaming from the sudden grains of hot sand that had penetrated them, "she'll believe us, right? She has to!" my voice was raised though I doubted many could hear me over the howl of the desert wind. Layle scratched his crystalline cheek and shrugged, shaking the sand from his white-blonde hair impatiently.

"Althea cannot act without evidence. She has no rights, even as Princess. I'm sure the king could, but he's… Well, you of all people should know that Keiss, being in the upper circle yourself. Colonel." He added that last bit to disgruntle me, I could tell by the jokey tone his voice had diverted to.

"Actually, I got evidence right here," another voice affirmed. I'd forgotten that the Selkie girl Layle had called 'Belle' was accompanying us, but her voice had been an announcement of her presence. I recognised her as a girl who spent most of her time at the beach discussing 'work' with her friends. A brunette girl of about twenty, whose eyes portrayed nought but mischief and a sense of… passion. Belle reached into her shirt (Layle and I had decided that Selkie women could probably fit a whole lunch down there when we were younger) and brought out what seemed to be a red mini scroll of some sort. I realised it was a photograph, and recalled her taking pictures on the Alexis the day it crashed.

"I took this on the Alexis," she announced, "Jegran's right arm, clear as day."

All bearers had a part of their body crystallised. Layle had his right cheek. Jegran had his right arm. As bearers were considered freaks against nature, an experiment gone wrong, Jegran obviously didn't want to lose his position as High Commander by admitting it. The picture Belle had taken was crucial to the situation at hand, and was probably the reason why the Lilty army was pursuing her. The new information had piqued Layle's interest as well as my own, and we both crowded round to see it.

"I guess that's the business you had with Jegran on the day the Alexis crashed, huh?" Layle questioned. She smiled a quirky smile and hid the evidence back in her shirt, where no-one without powers like Layle's or common courtesy would try to take it.

"I think I'll take that to Althea," I announced, knowing Belle and Layle were both in danger near Alfitaria, "kindly hand it over." I held out my hand for the photo and Belle simply jerked herself away from me, covering up her chest. I realised then that what I was doing tended to offend women and retracted my hand, trying to send an apologetic look in her direction, but she didn't seem to care. Layle seemed to find my idiocy amusing, though I had never been good around women, he knew that and frankly, he was quite the charmer compared to me.

"Belle, you ought to go with Keiss," he was grinning a crooked grin and looking in my direction. I found myself fiddling with my colonel badge and looking about, my eyes falling on a vulture that circled us from above, hoping we'd drop dead any second. Layle began to chuckle again, though I soon discovered it wasn't at me. Belle seemed in a state of shock, and was looking at him wide eyed.

"What!" she retorted, an air of surprise in her tone, "I'm going to see the Princess?" she looked at me, and I realised Layle had just dumped a companion into my hands, yet another burden to bear. However, given the circumstances, I decided to accept that I'd be in the company of a Selkie who didn't hate me for my choices and I'd have somebody to talk to on what would probably be a long journey fraught with peril. With monsters spreading like wildfire, only a Crystal Bearer was truly safe alone.

"What'll you be doing Layle?" I asked out of pure interest, knowing he wasn't going to accompany us to see Althea.

"I'll be going to the ruins again where we got the Crystal Idol. Goldenrod will be waiting," he affirmed, scratching his right cheek which was a bad habit of his he'd been doing since we met. Layle nodded at the two of us and turned to leave, Belle and I doing the same.

"Layle," I called, remembering something I needed to tell him first, for in the situation we were in anything could happen and the prison sands could easily be the last place we met ever, "leave the Yuke business for now. Jegran's the real enemy."

When I'd agreed to go and inform Althea of the crisis at hand, I didn't plan wandering aimlessly around endless sands, painful little grains of hot stone piercing at my bare skin like tiny daggers. I felt sorrier for Belle, who was doing my head in with her consistent chatting, for I noticed a few tiny beads of blood coming out on her arm where the sand had beat her so much it had split the skin. She was talking a lot, but there was a hint of bother in her tone, like she too felt a pang of guilt in her heart for Vaigali's loss like I did. Technically, it WAS our fault he died and it should really have been us buried under the sand in shattered red Crystal shards, though I decided not to point that out to her. I decided not to think about the events prior at all and focus on getting out of the desert alive and with all my appendages fully compatible.

"We're lost, right?" Belle asked after what seemed like an eternity. I could barely see her face in the sandy air we breathed, but I could tell she was getting a little scared. In truth, I was too, though it was best if I acted fearless as so to not worry either of us even more than we already were.

"Nah," I assured her, though my voice felt thick with the lie and the fear, "Selkies don't get lost. We'll get out." I was beginning to think that was impossible by then, like the desert we walked on had defeated us no matter how hard we attempted to rebel against it's harsh climate.

"Keiss," Belle's tone had changed from frightened to concerned, "you've no clue where we are, have you? We've wandered astray from our destination and unless this storm lets up, we're dead. We are so dead."

"No Belle, I…" I'd leapt into arguing against her point without thinking it through, and was stumped on what to say. She was right, I had lead us astray and I'd probably killed us both and doomed anyone who oppressed Jegran's powers. As the sand faded slightly, I could see her face, forlorn and afraid. The both of us stopped walking and turned to face each other, as if the other's expression would give us a minimal hint on what to do to unravel the tangle we'd plunged into. Alas, all it did was make me remember Vaigali's last words, which were swimming around in my head and causing my heart to sink with my hopes when I failed to find meaning.

"Vailgali believed in you, you know," Belle affirmed, "he tried to deny it but I know he did. Deep down, you can't really hate anyone. You just need to find it in yourself to come to accept that everyone is different, but nobody is wrong. You're a good person, and you haven't just killed us. Me however…" an ominous crack cut her off and the crumbling sound of rock pursued the smoggy air. Within seconds, Belle was gone with a scream. She'd vanished so quickly that by the time I'd come to my senses and realised the ground she'd been standing on had given way, it seemed too late to do anything about it. Frantic, I dropped to the ground and peered down the hole she'd descended. The air was clear down there and the ground seemed harder and more stable than the sand I stood on myself. I could just make out a figure of a body lying motionless on the ground below; luckily it was a fairly small drop so I could hop down myself without too much hassle. I prayed Belle was still alive and lowered myself down into the hole, brushing myself down when I reached the bottom. To my relief, faint breathing was noticeable on Belle's otherwise limp body, and her muddy brown eyes were rested upon me, swimming with tears.

"Belle…" my voice echoed in the stagnant air no matter how quiet I was, "are you alright?" fifty Keisses asked her. Belle managed to breathe an answer:

"I think so…" she attempted to hoist herself up, though the moment she put pressure on her right leg, she collapsed again, a look of twisted agony plastered on her face.

"Oh…" I sighed, not trained in anything medical, and approached her, my hand outstretched for her leg.

"DON'T TOUCH IT!" she screamed, her voice so loud it remained in my head after the echoes had faded. My fingers had only brushed her clearly broken ankle and she seemed in a world of pain I could relate to, having broken bones before. The splintering agony that coursed through the entire appendage was unbearable, and I was surprised she wasn't bawling. It came to my mind then that Belle was an incredibly strong woman, which would make her a lot easier to deal with. "Please…" she rasped, her watery eyes fixed upon my only, glazed over with the pain she was enduring. I obliged and instead tried to lift her up. Even though she was too injured to move and I was ensuring she wouldn't die with a paralysed leg preventing her from escaping, she still seemed irritated by me holding her.

"This is for the best Belle, be grateful I'm helping you. I'll carry you to safety, just hold on tight."

"I'm a Selkie. I can do it sol- ooow…" her nails pierced my shoulder and I winced, though I tried not to make too much of a fuss when Belle was in traumatising pain.

"Now Belle, not even a Selkie can get out of this one solo," I explained to her, beginning to walk through the cave we'd seemed to have landed in. Over the time, the rocky ground I trekked across became pale grey slabs and we entered what seemed like a tunnel consisting of stone and metal. Blue and green light, tinted by stained glass, filtered in through a few large, heavily decorated windows once we arrived in a large, airy room. A mosaic pattern rested in the middle of the floor and only one part of the room, the far side, was still plunged in darkness. Within these shadows, a voice emitted, raspy and most certainly masculine. Belle and I both allowed a gasp to escape our lips when the voice got us by surprise

"Oh hello… What brings you here? You don't look like brigands or grave robbers to me… your presence feels odd, I haven't had any real visitors in over a thousand years…" the cluttering of armour bounced around the room as a tall figure began to emerge from the shadows, freezing me to the spot in shock-horror…


	2. The Yuke's Mistake

The Yuke's Mistake

"So, what have we here then?" The mysterious being in the shadows asked, in a calm, non taunting manner. They seemed merely quizzical to our being there and not a threat like I had suspected of someone who wouldn't step into view, "tall, slender physique… Long hair and dark eyes? You're clearly Selkies, are you not?" I managed to nod, still unable to move, though that was partially to do with my arms getting tired of carrying Belle. I'd drop her accidentally and injure her beyond a broken leg due to my own stupidity. The armour the unknown host began to clatter again, and the shadow of a humanoid figure was thrown across the ground. Their feet became visible in the light, though they were mostly covered by a long, sweeping cloak. After that came the rest of their body, clothed in majestic blues and yellows crafted of silk and gold. Their sleeves, or rather their entire arms, ended at ankle length and their face was covered in a mask resembling a war helmet in a way. I could feel my thoughts cloud over in confusion, trying to untangle this mystery that was placed in front of us. They looked like Goldenrod, only seemed to be built up on flesh and blood whereas she was clearly nothing but a clump of metal and magic combined.

"_I haven't had any real visitors in over a thousand years…"_

Was that even possible? Nobody could live that long unless they had some source related to the arcane acts keeping them alive for centuries. Plus all the Yukes had been wiped out…

"Hah!" I cried, not thinking my theory through. Belle seemed to wince; her ear was rather close to my mouth and the dome like room we were in bounced echoes off the wall like rubber. "You got new armour again, thinking I could be fooled Goldenrod! I know it's you! This is the subterranean ruins, isn't it?"

"What?" Belle whispered, her voice still low and thin. Though the Yuke's face was hidden by the sandy coloured mask they wore, I could tell they were thinking the exact same thing. I realised I'd yet again made a false accusation and heaved a heavy sigh.

"I don't understand," the Yuke type person stated. I felt exactly the same, "who is this 'Goldenrod' of whom you speak? And subterranean ruins? You clearly have the wrong person and location young Selkie. My goodness girl, are you quite alright?" They appeared to be talking to Belle, who had suddenly winced again, hinting that another shot of agony had coursed through her injury like a bullet fired from a rifle.

"Fine…" Belle gasped; "I just fell into your lovely abode and snapped my leg in two is all…" the Yuke seemed to have believed her until she said that final part in a strained voice. They began to approach us and inspected her breakage, despite her discomfort and mine. They ran a large, feathered hand over her right leg and she yelped.

"What are you doing! Get off of me or I'll sue you for harassment!"

"Wow, what a likely story. You'll certainly get a lot out of that one missy. 'A Yuke guy touched my leg'. I'm sure the court'll listen to you," they said in a sarcastic tone. They'd revealed their sex at least, proving Yukes were what they sounded like, "anyway, there's nothing to worry about, it's only a small fracture. A minor injury like that can be fixed up with a cure magicite." Belle huffed at the words 'small' and 'minor'. I was trying to figure out what a 'magicite' was.

"Why don't you go and sit down young Selkies?" he suggested, "I'll go grab supplies."

It was a relief to put Belle down so I could stretch my arms and relax my aching muscles. Belle was seldom silent, moaning and whining that her life was going downhill and that her leg hurt. I felt like shouting at her to shut up and accept that life sucks sometimes.

"Belle," I sighed, "when life gives you lemons…"

"You cut them up and make lemonade. I'm not stupid Colonel… Though I do want some lemonade now…" she mumbled dreamily, "You think the Yuke has any?"

"I doubt it," I affirmed, feeling a sudden craving for lemonade as well. We'd used up all our water in the desert and my throat was slowly becoming sore and dry. "What do you think a magicite is?"

"I'm not taking any drugs from a Yuke, so if that's what he's planning…" she was scowling, her face ghostly white and damp with sweat. The Yuke's footsteps became audible and were growing louder as he approached. He emerged from a dark tunnel in the far North West corner of the room, carrying a green, spherical object in his hand and some sort of ancient tome, so battered and dusty that there was no visible title. The book looked to be many a century old, and I wondered how it had kept so well.

"Here we are," he announced, kneeling down in front of Belle. I stood up against the wall and allowed her to rest her head against my legs, my eyes surveying the surroundings we had landed in. It was a stone built place, coloured mostly in greens, blues, yellows and whites with the addition of grey slabs keeping it up. It certainly didn't look Lilty made, and was probably around way before the little tribe dominated the world. It had that musty scent archaeologists and treasure hunters (and thieves) loved, the scent of history and treasures alike. The historical aura it gave off was ruined by Belle's cussing however, the Yuke was holding her leg down to stop her jerking away. The sphere by his side was giving off a green light and was slowly shrinking as the light encased both the Yuke's hands and Belle's leg.

"How did one so pretty learn those words?" he asked her, making her blush. Most Selkie women were suckers for flattery, and Belle was no exception so it seemed. The Yuke could do magic, though was clearly not a bearer. I wondered how he knew such an ancient ritual. His old book deciphered how to heal breakages of the skeletal structure, and turned out to be a rather aged medical book, that seemed solely based on these spherical objects he'd named 'magicites'. After five minutes of magic, the magicite had vanished and Belle's condition had seemed to improve. The Yuke stood up and wiped the dust off of his cloak, picking up his book in the process.

"You can try and stand up now Miss Selkie," he instructed her. Belle looked confused for a second, though obliged to stand up. I waited for the scream to come and for her to collapse, but it never did. She seemed as surprised as I was, and for once in what seemed like forever, she was speechless (the words 'Belle' and 'speechless' were so unlikely to be placed together in a sentence unless you put the words 'never is' in between them that you might have passed out if you heard them).

"Clever," I appraised, letting a snide grin appear on my face, "it's pretty impressive for someone without Crystal Bearer powers to perform an act like that."

"Yeah, thanks I guess," a slightly spellbound Belle mumbled, twisting her leg around in an attempt to ensure it was in good order, "but how did you do it? You're not a Crystal Bearer are you?" The Yuke let out a melancholy sigh and bowed his head, seeming troubled.

"I've been alive for centuries, and never in my life have I thought I'd see the day people no longer relied on magic. The world is developing so fast, and when you spend all your time underground, major changes in lifestyle are so shocking. You mean to say you two cannot cast magic or use magicites?" he sounded slightly perturbed by the sudden change. Belle and I exchanged glances and shook our heads in unison. The Yuke tutted and changed the subject. "So, state your business young Selkies. Here on a romantic stroll? Or were you just seeking medical help for her?"

"He isn't my boyfriend, I hardly know him," Belle snapped in a shrill tone, "and as a matter of fact, we're hardly here on purpose."

"Lost are you?" he asked, "Where do you come from?"

"None of your buis…" I slapped a hand over Belle's mouth before she got carried away again.

"We come from the Selkie Guild near Costa Faguita. We fell through the ground in the Prison Sands to get here."

"Whatever were two young adults like yourselves doing there? Been naughty have we?" I decided not to answer that last question.

"Rescue mission," I announced proudly, "the Selkie tribe were wrongly accused of aiding a fugitive and were incarcerated at the Aerial Prison." The first statement was a lie, the Selkies had been aiding a high profile criminal. I decided it was best not to mention that, mostly because the criminal they'd been aiding was Belle. The Yuke seemed impressed, clearly he'd been expecting different. The fact that all I'd done was give Vaigali reason to sacrifice himself was something I wouldn't say either.

"I see. What are the titles you go by?" he asked us. Belle looked at me funny, as if she was urging me not to give out anything more. I ignored her.

"My name is Keiss," I stated, "she's Belle. We're nothing spectacular…"

"Who're YOU Yuke?" Belle retorted so suddenly it shocked me, "your tribe has been wiped out, save for one individual. And that individual is NOT you. How are you here? How are you alive, and why are you all furry?" she had such a demanding look in her eyes, like tiny lasers cutting through the man. I placed a hand on her shoulder to hold her down, peering over her light brunette hair at the Yuke. He let out another exasperated sigh, pacing the room slowly.

"For your sake, I'll explain. I can sense that you're both curious and you as members of our world have every right to know. Let me take you back, three thousand years."

"_Three thousand years ago, when I was about your age and studying as a scholar in a private Yuke and Clavat school, the world was at peace. Tribal Unity was something we lived every day, all four living in harmony within the boundaries of the greatest city in the world at the time, Rebena Te Ra. It was a time of love and passion, when half breeds were a common thing. All were treated as equals, no matter if you were a power hungry Lilty, a poor, working Clavat, a peace loving Yuke or an independent, witty Selkie. Equality reigned, as did real Monarchy, the most notable of which being the famous King Kolka, a true man of the time. In your time, you'd probably expect him to be a Lilty, yet the royal family for years had always been of Selkie blood. Everywhere one looked, you'd see Crystals, like the stars in the night sky. It was like living in a treasure chest (_"Why couldn't I have been born in that era?"Belle had asked_,) it was such an exhilarating sight. Then, one day a scholar named Larkeicus began to develop technology which was powered by Crystals, in order to gain what he believed to be a more functional world. Due to this, the Crystals began to disappear one by one. War broke out between the four tribes to control the few that remained. Then, in the midst of all the war, a Crystal appeared in the forest. It was a Crystal Core, and it was the last remaining Crystal in the world. Larkeicus decided to go and investigate it, and as an apprentice of his, I accompanied him… Thinking it was just an investigation… The villagers in the forest refused to let us past at first, but they seemed on negotiable terms. Larkeicus disagreed despite my protests and it resulted in death for every last soul in that village. All but one Clavat girl whom he could not destroy. Instead, he kidnapped her and experimented on her until she was just a lifeless body that couldn't act on her own anymore. She could only use the power the Crystal Core had given her, the power to create Crystals, at Larkeicus' command. I was yet another guinea pig in his experiments… experiments designed to cheat death. When he succeeded, I became immortal, but I also became a monster when I came into crystalline contact. I hid down here for the safety of the mortal world, in the ruins of the civilisation he built upon his technology. About a millennium ago, a bunch of young children, probably a few years younger than yourselves, fought against Larkeicus, destroying him and the Clavat girl. All of his creations, save for two, were destroyed along with the man who made them… My name is Veriaulde, and I am the last Yuke of my kind in the world. Over time, my tribe learned to live without bodies aside from their armour. Trapped down here, I was to remain like this until the end. The Lilties overpowered the world, wiped out the Yukes and built far more advanced technology than ever… the etymology of our world is written in blood..."_

Veriaulde's tale piqued my interest and clearly changed my views. Both Belle and I just gazed at him in awe, unsure of what to say.

"So you're immortal?" Belle asked.

"Yes."

"And the Selkies DID have royal blood?"

"Yes, they did."

"What happened?"

Veriaulde shook his head, "I do not know that, Kolka died before my birth. You'll have to look him up if you wish to know more. My knowledge on your tribe isn't vast I'm afraid, I grew up with Clavats and Yukes… And monsters."

"It's sad it had to change," I sighed, "a world of magic and fantasy. It sounds much more interesting than our life of hatred and technology. Maybe when Layle and Goldenrod perform the resurrection, it'll return to the world it was centuries ago…"

"Resurrection? The resurrection of the Yuke tribal Crystal? Return the world back to normal? Not likely Mr. Keiss," Veriaulde affirmed, "you see, if the resurrection takes place, an ancient curse will activate and the Lilty tribal Crystal will be destroyed instead. Not that it will affect you of course. Nor anyone here, for this province is Lilty free. But Alfitaria…"

"What?" I rose to my feet abruptly, arm outstretched, and seized Veriaulde's collar, lifting him up, "the resurrection is going to kill the Lilties!" My mind was affixed upon Althea and Cid, both of whom were strong comrades of ours. Had Goldenrod not warned Layle? Or was he so angry at Jegran that he didn't care for the Lilties anymore?

"It is possible the curse will not activate," he stammered.

"But there is a possibility it will, right? I don't think the Princess will think too kindly of the other three tribes if it does occur," Belle sighed. Veriaulde nodded.

"What if we were to stop it?" I questioned, "then could the Lilty be spared? How did you survive the destroying of the Yuke crystal?"

"I cannot die. I am immortal… Though to immortalise an entire tribe so the Yukes can return without killing them all… it is difficult, and not one alive today knows how to do it. You say only ones you call 'Crystal Bearers' can do magic now, huh?"

"Yeah, but I doubt any can make someone immortal. Imagine an immortal Jegran…"

"No," Belle seemed to shudder at the thought.

"I wasn't heading in that direction," Veriaulde affirmed, "maybe one of them can put a stopper to the curse though. All we have to do is warn all of them… How many are there?"

"Layle," Belle began, "and that creepy guy who was stalking me. The one who controls fire? Blaze, was it?"

"He's dead," I stated, "there is also Jegran and Goldenrod; though I doubt they can do that kind of magic. All of them have offensive powers… what are we going to do, crystallise the Lilty tribal crystal? Warp it? Suspend it in midair?" I dropped Veriaulde and sunk to the floor, anguished and annoyed, and began to mull things over.

"What if we prevented the resurrection?"

"We can't do that, we don't have enough time to get to Layle. Nor do we know how we're going to get back to Alfitaria," Belle lounged back against the wall.

"Is there a way out of the ruins alone Veriaulde? Perhaps if we get out, we could find a way home?" I questioned.

"The exit to the ancient ruins we're in as of now is easily accessible. Returning to Alfitaria however…" he rested his head in one of his hands and sighed.

"Yes?" Belle urged.

"It's a difficult task. Alfitaria is separated from our world by a large abyss. By foot, it would take about a year to arrive, and not even the strongest of men would stand much chance of survival. There is one way to get there in a mere few weeks, but it won't be easy."

"It's better than watching an entire tribe fall due to us!" I snapped.

"There is an Airship Larkeicus created before he died, situated in the gateway overlooking the abyss. The Nautilus he named it, and is the fastest Airship in the world, with the ability to become a submarine. When pirate Selkies tried to seize it, he hid it down here. Now the only other access point to this province is strictly forbidden for certainty of death, I had decided to move the Nautilus to its current resting spot. The only problem is that we need a device that can transform Crystals into energy. The device is an ancient staff that he who bestows the power of the Crystal Core can activate. I know someone with those powers, but it's getting the device that is the problem."

"You don't know where it is?" I asked him.

"Oh no, I know where it is, it's just that the location, or locations are dangerous. The staff is split into three segments. One of those segments is in the heart of a Crystal Mine, guarded by an ancient beast said to live for centuries. Another is in a cursed graveyard and the third part is at the bottom of a river, surrounded by air that will kill he who breathes it in. If we are to save the Lilties, which you seem so intent on doing, we'll need this device. The river will be our first location, and it is south east of these desert ruins. Come, I will escort you out."

"Oh, what a relief," Belle sighed once Veriaulde had escorted us out with the help of several elevators controlled by the weight of the person standing on it (Belle and I had to jump about a bit, and my accidental jumping on her foot had resulted in a one sided scrap. My cheek was still sore from where she struck me) "fresh air."

"Welcome, Keiss and Belle, to the fabulous haven the Lilties couldn't dominate. A province belonging solely to the Clavat and Selkie tribes, with the addition of myself," Veriaulde announced, outstretching his arms to the world we stood upon. Though all you could really see from where we stood was a large, ice capped mountain range expanding across the entire length of the far west, until it met up with a dead looking forest you could only just see beyond rolling countryside that seemed to stretch for miles before it reached the landmarks visible to my eye. Mingling in with the dead looking forest was a much greener array of trees which rounded the corner of the fields and ended at a formation of odd, bluish rocks, next to an island smothered in stagnant, low hanging gas. Surrounding said island was a river, and I could just spot some large fish swimming around in the water, probably of the Sahagin type. I had a feeling in my gut that it was the river Veriaulde had described. I pointed in the direction and asked him if I was right, which surprisingly I was.

"I will accompany you two on your journey, you'll need one with magic ability," he affirmed as the three of us began to advance upon the river.

"Thank you Veriaulde," I appraised, looking over his head at Belle who seemed to be in her element; the ground seemed to be rich in treasure. It was quite comical to watch actually. She stopped when the desert was far behind us though, and we began to trek across a small, rocky field with several holes, all looking man made. Large, blue rock formations were scattered here and there with several chunks missing due to what seemed to be pickaxes, coming from the fact that there were several broken heads of the tools left at the foot of a few of the rocks. About half a mile away was the humid looking forest, which seemed rich in wildlife due to the din that monsters, the most recognisable of which being Goblins, were making. To our right was river we were destined to go to next, and Veriaulde steered us in that direction, despite Belle's protests because she could smell Gil buried under the ground. Bracing ourselves and sticking rather close together, the three of us came to an abrupt halt, face to face with our first ordeal.

The river was more like a swamp, with monsters scaling the island in the dead centre and the water, green and sludgy as opposed to the brilliant blues of the Costa Faguita seas. It gave off a foul, pungent odour of dead fish, though the only visible forms of life in the water itself were the Sahagins. Twisted looking plants hung gruesomely over the river bank, oozing with black slime, clearly dead from the lack of nutrients the water contained. A sign by the water's edge seemed to read the name of the 'river', though some of the letters had faded out of sight leaving the name 'R ve B l e' in its place.

"What do you suppose it's called?" I asked, looking to Belle. She shrugged with one arm; the other was preoccupied with covering her nose from the foul stench that the murky waters emitted.

"I'm sure the name isn't compulsory," Veriaulde began, "but it was named the River Belle."

"Ngh naged agter a riger?" Belle asked, her words seeming gibberish due to her face being covered. Veriaulde looked confused. She seemed to inhale a large amount of fresh air, removed her hand and translated what she'd just said. "I'm named after a river?"

"It would seem that way. You do stink after all," I joked. She pretended to strike me, though I could see a small grin trying to burst onto her face.

"How could someone who spends his life among the Onion heads say that to such a dazzling young creature such as me? You ought to jump in, the swamp water would be quite a nice cologne compared to Lilty odour."

"Well, one of us will have to jump in anyway," Veriaulde stated, "the device part is at the bottom of that river, and the only way to get there is to swim."

"No way," Belle retorted, folding her arms across her chest and looking away in disgust, "I'd rather kiss a Behemoth. Or Jegran for that matter."

"You're such a girl," I chuckled, "is the water safe Veriaulde?"

"It should be, as long as the Sahagins are avoided. Regardless of the cleanliness of the water, the three of us should go together. It's dangerous alone." Belle looked at him like she wanted to cleave him in half, and then shot the look at me. I let a smile appear on my face and turned to look at Veriaulde.

"Well, my Yuke friend, you're forgetting something about our tribe. I'm a Selkie. I can go solo," I pinched my nose, withdrew a large breath and leapt into the black depths of the freezing water.


	3. The Undead Princess

The Undead Princess

"KEISS! Keiss!" as I began to descend deeper into the oily, black waters of the river, with no clue as to what I was searching for, Belle's cries began to grow fainter. She'd plunged one hand into the icy depths, as if she was trying to pull me back out, not thinking of the basic facts.

I wasn't going to let anyone else die because of my doing. I wasn't going to give up because the task I'd set myself was all too risky and was probably going to, if not kill me, make me seriously ill. I was colonel in the royal army, and protection was my ultimate ambition, though working for Jegran was a major downside in that. Nevertheless, if diving into a (wrongly named, I was certain Belle meant beautiful) river, fraught with danger and thick with polluted water, was what I had to do to save the people I served then I'd do it. Being a Selkie gave me extended air underwater, though I still had a limited amount of time before the oily waters claimed me. I found myself scavenging the river bottom like a ravenous fish, trying to claim some form of treasure chest or anything of some value that might be the component for the device Veriaulde spoke of. With my time submerged depleting and the breath being slowly ripped from my lungs. When I looked up, Belle and Veriaulde were no longer audible, though I could make out my female companion's watery silhouette, clouded over by the gunk in the water. As my fingers brushed the silky sands of the riverbed, I began to feel nauseated, the pungent fumes of the liquid causing my head to throb. There was a dull splash, though I thought it was a Sahagin, and continued on the search. As the world began to go fuzzy, I touched something cold and a glint of gold emitted from the sand. On my last lease of breathe, I lunged for the glinting and grasped something smooth and flat. By then, I'd seemingly come to the end of the line. I felt a sharp jerk upwards and then everything went silent.

The next thing I felt was a pressure on my chest, like someone was pressing down on it with great force, trying to snap my ribs. About a million miles away, I could hear Belle calling my name in anguish, though I had a feeling the pressing on my chest was her, closer to me than ever before. Belle's presence signalled one thing, much to my relief, and that was that I hadn't died down there, doing something silly and reckless that I'd never though I'D ever do. It seemed like a Layle thing, and the last thing I wanted was to be like Layle. My vision slowly began to regain, going from black to fuzzy and then to just blurry. I could definitely see Belle's face looming over me and Veriaulde sitting behind her, investigating something that was glared by the sun, reflecting a bright light over to us, highlighting Belle like she was emitting it. She was soaking wet and shivering, but smiling all the same, probably elated she wouldn't have to tell Layle I'd drowned in a river with her name. Knowing him, becoming more mysterious and Yuke-ish every day, he'd probably think 'Keiss drowned in River Belle' had a different meaning and he'd assume that she meant 'I killed Keiss because he was being a jerk.' One of Belle's hands was rested on my chest and the other was behind her back, probably hiding something valuable she'd excavated from my person while I was in my unconscious state. My voice a quiet murmur, I spoke to her, trying to sound agitated. Her facial expression's lack of change hinted that I'd failed.

"Belle, give it back…" I tried to sit up, feeling the blood rush to my head and dizziness cloud within. She let a snide grin creep across her face, and looked around to Veriaulde as if she didn't hear me. Angered, I seized her arm and tugged it, causing her to drop my wallet with a gasp.

"Smooth," she appraised, rubbing her left arm that I had accidentally turned red from my grab.

"You're forgetting that I'm just as much a Selkie as you are. I just chose to lead my life differently, following Althea and not Vaigali."

"Following Jegran more like, and mastering over Layle. The Lilties and Selkies will always have dominance over the Clavats; we're just so much more economically developed than they are."

"Nevertheless, don't steal my wallet again or I'll knife you."

"You know the world is doomed when there is conflict within a tribe…" Veriaulde serenaded, his gaze still affixed to the object he held. With my vision fully restored, I could see that it was a little sapphire oval, encased in a gold ring with a slight feathered effect around the edge, giving it a parallelogram sort of shape. It was a flat, fragile looking thing that seemed to glow a dull blue around Veriaulde. The closer Belle and I got, the duller it became.

"This device can locate crystals," the Yuke stated, handing it to me so I could observe it fully. Something told me he didn't trust Belle as such with something so valuable. "the brighter it glows, the closer a crystal is. The experiments I underwent used Crystals, thus making it sense the minimal amount of them on me. You two have no trace, hence why it's not glowing at all now."

"So if Layle held it…" Belle began.

"I suss that it would glow brightly, he is crystalline partially," I informed her, trying to be smart. Veriaulde approved.

"This little thing can fly an airship with a few attachments then?" I queried, returning it to safe hands.

"Yes, this cannot harness the energy alone. I can transfer it, but not easily without the aid of the other two components. Seeing as we need some vital information from the Graveyard before we can access the third part, that will be our next destination." Belle and I nodded once, shivering as a cold gust of wind blew past us, causing the water that clung to our clothes and skin to cool down. Veriaulde seemed to ignore our suffering and developed a very serious complexion all of a sudden.

"Be very cautious once in the boundaries of the Graveyard however. The ordeals you will face are designed to drive away treasure hunters in the most dangerous ways possible. The Graveyard is packed with dark element monsters you must let me take on. Without magic, the two of you will stand no chance no matter how skilled you may be at various weaponry types. There is a legend that when a man whose wealth was built on treasure hunting died, he insisted that his findings be buried with him. However, his family couldn't bare the thoughts of all that treasure rusting underground, so went to excavate it. When they reached his crypt, an ominous voice drove them away, as if the treasure was cursed. The family gave up all rights to the treasure, and since then every treasure hunter in the area wanted a piece of it. Yet every time a being tries to take some, they're driven away by the same ominous voice every time. Some go insane in that place, the voices penetrating their sanity. Some may try to confront the monster within, but never live to tell the tale. Once one sets foot there, they never go back and it haunts them for life. The treasure there is vital to us, but we mustn't lose ourselves along the way."

"Humph, as if that story is real," Belle scoffed, "curses are just made up spooks to make little kids unstable and terrified."

"This isn't a myth Miss Belle," Veriaulde forewarned, "the ghost in the Graveyard is all too real, and she will try to stop us from taking the treasure again."

"She?" I had become confused, "and again? Veriaulde, how can a ghost be female and by again, do you mean someone HAS taken the treasure before?"

"Yes…" he paused and took a breath, "come, we should leave the River Belle now, before the Sahagins see us as easy pray. It'll be better to traverse the Graveyard by daylight if possible. The Undead tend not to show themselves when the sun filters through the trees."

"Who did it? Was it a Selkie?" Belle queried, admiring the dagger I had handed her as a precaution; without it, she was defenceless.

"Hmm?" Veriaulde looked to her, snapping out of a funk he'd been in since we left the oily riverside, "oh, who overcame the curse? No, it was a Clavat actually… Well, there was a Selkie there, but it was a Clavat who defeated the lady ghost. Pretty famous young woman and all, she was. She was immortal like myself, but was killed about a thousand years ago. Sherlotta her name was so I've heard, though I never met her personally. She had the most extraordinary power, thus making Larkeicus want her so badly."

"The power being?" I asked, intrigued by the history this Yuke was reciting to us. Belle didn't really seem too phased, like she simply wasn't bothered with anything besides the treasure legend said the crypt held.

"She could make Crystals… She used the device we seek to foil Larkeicus' plans, though that is a story for another time. I'm sure our little ghost will know more than I do, she was there."

"I'm still having trouble believing in the ghost stories you're telling us Yuke," Belle retorted, "I'm just in this for the treasure, which will undoubtedly mine because everyone else is hearing voices. There is no proof because no-one has seen the ghost. Until I see it, I'm not buying any of it."

"You're very stubborn Miss Belle," Veriaulde sighed, leading us closer to the dead forest I'd seen before. Under the twisted shadows of the trees, I already felt the eerie feeling one might get in dark places, where some one or something is following you, waiting for the right time to pounce. As we approached the gate, tainted with a rusty colour which I highly doubted was actually rust, the feeling of being stalked only growing more prominent. The gates swung open when we were a few yards away, making Belle jump with the shock and dart behind me. She seemed to notice my look I shot her and drew back up to her full height, putting a brave face on over her true fear.

"I-I'm not afraid…" she stammered, "the noise was just shocking."

"Sure it was," I smiled, drawing my sword and beginning to advance upon the cursed cemetery, our next destination.

The creepy feeling did not lift once we were inside the Graveyard's moth eaten walls that had crumbled away, in some cases so much that the wall there ceased to exist, and instead was home to all sorts of wacky little creatures that seemed to desire a meal of Selkie and Yuke soufflé. Sometimes all sorts of gruesome ghouls, Blood bones and Mandrakes and some form of large, undead Sahagin, would sneak up behind us, invisible to our sharp, Selkie eyes. Veriaulde had to cast 'white magic' on them to make them visible and vulnerable to mediocre weaponry. Pistols and bullets ceased to work, so I had to make do with my various blades to send the beasts back to oblivion, with the aid of Veriaulde's spells and Belle's light-footed agility to back me up in the struggle. In every area, there was a puzzle we had to conquer, and it appealed to me that the three of us needed to work together to overcome every obstacle that was placed in our path. Here, Veriaulde needed to use a Fire magicite to light a candle. At some points I needed to eliminate every monster in the room to progress, and there Belle needed to move something into place and cross large abysses to do so. They were truly trials designed to test and exterminate any who sought to possess the wealth at the end. Belle never gave in to believing the curse was reality and attempted to open every chest she could access, even though many contained nasty consequences such as not actually being a real chest but really being a monster named a 'Mimic', which immediately tried to kill her. She managed to escape with several bad burns from its magic and a few nasty cuts. Veriaulde had laughed and called her accident prone as he fixed up her wounds, disgruntling her. Both she and I had fallen unconscious due to the toxins released into the air. Apparently we'd fainted due to the River Belle's effects as well, as we'd been informed once Veriaulde had casted a Raise magicite onto us both. I reminded myself to query Veriaulde on how magicites worked later on, once the Graveyard ordeal was over. Soon we'd reached what seemed to be the end of our trial, for beyond another large, iron wrought gate lay what appeared to be a large coffin, coloured majestic gold. There was a large, demeaning looking lock on the door that not even a master thief like Belle could unpick.

"There is a way to open the gate without setting off a booby trap," Veriaulde affirmed, looking in the direction of a large ditch in the ground. Two candles hovered above it, as did a magic switch coated in poison. On the platform above it, there was a switch I could activate by hitting with my sword. I began to draw it, but Veriaulde pushed down on my arm to stop me. "No, that's a trap. We have to light the candles some other way. It won't be as easy as doing them one by one with a Fire magicite I'm afraid. They're enchanted to only activate when lit at the same time."

"Do you have a plan?" Belle asked, seeming doubtful. Veriaulde nodded, much to her surprise.

"We set something alight and then you two both light the candles in unison. The Key should appear, and I doubt the trap set for that will activate with Larkeicus dead. We need some wood and then we're ready to go. Keiss, at the bottom of that ditch should be a wooden coffin. Go and break some of the lid off please." I obliged, ignoring the conveniently placed stairs and ripping off a fairly large chunk of wood from the lid, half expecting a zombie to reach out and devour me. My boyish imagination ceased to fade, even though I'd surpassed boyhood and had entered the grovelling world of being twenty. I carried the wood to my companions, and handed some to Belle, both of us slightly uncomfortable with fire being cast so near us, Belle especially after her pursuing by Blaze the fire Crystal Bearer who had nearly burned down Costa Faguita, Rivelgauge Monastery and Layle to get to her. Once lit, the wood seemed to burn pretty quickly, so we had to build up a large amount of speed to complete the task at hand. A strange feeling came to me when running and I caught a glimpse of Belle illuminated by the fire. The orange light danced off her figure like a golden sunset that tainted the waters of our home a beautiful red. I'd forgotten in my time with the Lilties how beautiful my own tribe could be. I shook my head clean of any thoughts and counted to three aloud, to signal when Belle was to light her candle. The both of us were praying it would work and were relieved when a small, golden key dropped into Veriaulde's hand.

"You two are pretty well co-ordinated," he complimented, advancing upon the old, rusty gate and inserting the key into the lock. It dropped to the floor with a hefty clang following it, and the gate swung open. We entered as a trio, the bitter taste of anguish hanging low in the air.

The gate closed automatically, fastening itself shut. Belle didn't gasp in shock for once, which appeared to be due to her focus being entirely locked onto the coffin at the end of the crypt. Clearly heaving with treasure, it was like Belle was under a spell and was being attracted to it like a moth to a flame. She was already lifting the lid before I could halt her in her actions.

"Hey Belle," I called, "I don't think you should be doing that."

She merely ignored me.

"This is heavy… The treasure here must be pretty tasty."

"Please Miss Belle," Veriaulde snapped, pulling her arm back, "allow me." The Yuke hoisted the lid off with ease, causing Belle to blush with her inability. I tutted, though all my forms of communication washed over her. Now the content was revealed, I knew nothing was going to stand in her way of it, and she pushed Veriaulde away to prove it.

"Wow, I wonder how much this'd sell for a piece," she grinned, handling the various amulets and other items of dear value. Veriaulde was beginning to grow agitated. As Belle rifled through the stuff, I felt a dark wave of magic emit from the crypt, giving me a nauseated feeling. Something evil was operating within.

"Please stop that!" the Yuke scoffed, counter shoving Belle like she had to him, and rifling around in the coffin for the part we sought. As he drew himself out of the box, holding something golden, an even stronger wave of darkness flowed from within, seemingly affecting Belle too.

"What is that?" she asked, her voice strained.

"What is what? I feel nothing," Veriaulde turned to face us, holding a heavily detailed object, decorated with large diamonds and a cylinder in shape. The other piece would easily slot over the top, and then only one other fragment would remain.

"There is no curse," Belle announced, nothing having happened when Veriaulde had removed a piece of treasure from the coffin entirely, "I was right." She punched the air triumphantly, then froze dead in her victorious gesture and gazed at the cup. It was glowing an ominous purple and from within, a noise began to emit.

"Leave it…" a low, feminine voice seemed to be rasping, "leave it…"

"Heh, nice one Veriaulde…" Belle laughed nervously. I had high doubts it was him.

"I'm doing nothing Miss Belle," he stated, an air of panic in his gruff voice. I placed my hand on the hilt of my sword.

"Hehehe… Foolish Selkie," the voice chimed, in a shrill, echoed tone. It was taunting Belle, trying to set her Selkie-esque ways straight. Slowly, she seemed to deteriorate and flung the cup from Veriaulde's grasp to the far end of the crypt in a desperate attempt to stop the taunting. I half expected it to shatter upon contact with the floor, but remained unscathed. However, an ominous growl became audible, and the volume was increasing as a purple symbol appeared on the ground, a flurry of lilac petals rising from the dirt. In the shadows, something horrific began to emerge. A hellish, purple glow shrouded whatever it was, making it completely invisible, aside from two large, almond shaped crimson eyes, which bore into us like tiny lasers.

"NO, no!" the shrill voice shrieked, a massive scythe like weapon soaring through the stagnant air, "you must be careful! It is a precision device! Handle with care, you idiot Selkie!"

"Show yourself!" I shouted into the shadows. The eyes narrowed and a large shadow darted across the room. All you could see in the shadow was a large beast type thing holding a scythe with a woman atop it. Belle shuddered.

"Eurgh, we're being confronted by the Grim Reaper"

"Miss Belle," Veriaulde warned, charging up a white magicite. The shadow could be seen, but the creature was clearly invisible like so many of the enemies we'd evaded on our journey.

"SHOW YOURSELF!" I repeated in a louder tone. The devious laughter rung throughout the Graveyard again and I felt something brush my shoulder. I swung my blade around, and it met something hard. There was a loud thud and a cloud of dust was sent up at the far end of the area. The glowing had returned, though not where the dust cloud was entirely. All I could see in that direction was a large, black scythe ornamented with red runes which glowed a sickly crimson. The three of us turned from the crash to the purple aura, which began to move. As we advanced, the translucent body of a woman rose from the ground, the hem of her charcoal and teal dress rising from the ground. The spirit seemed to be running a chalk white hand through her hair, which was a radiant blue and topped with a lilac tiara that rose in ugly spikes over her head.

"That hurt you know, watch where you swing that foul blade in future Selkie!" she scolded, "and as for you Veriaulde, you ought to keep your friends under control. They're insane, hurting a poor woman like myself." Veriaulde chuckled at her and Belle balled her hands up into a fist.

"My lady, it seems you've lost some of your lustre over the years," he stated, "the guard of the wealth that resides here should be more vigilant."

"Aah, alas, no soul has wondered here in centuries. I simply slept for all those decades. When you come, you awakened me and I am fatigued, having not battled for many moons. Would a dual later on suffice?" The ghost swiftly turned in the air and bowed down to Veriaulde, "it has been too long my tutor," she announced, rising from her bent position to her full height, which was around the same as my own. From the front, she seemed more a monster than a woman, though her figure was indeed flawlessly stunning. However, her face put a damper on any potential beauty she may have possessed. She scowled at Belle and me upon eye contact, her almond eyes narrowing into slits and her mouth pulled back into a grimace, revealing daggers for teeth. Her dress appeared as low cut and trimmed with teal edges, though the entirety of the sleeves were teal and not black at all. I was caught between thinking of her as a humanoid being or a monstrous creature, looking the spirit over, pondering the questions that plagued my brain.

"Why're you here Veriaulde?" she queried, resting on his shoulder.

"We need to borrow you my lady," he affirmed, addressing her in a formal way that seemed odd. How was the ghost superior to Veriaulde which made him call her 'my lady'? He just called Belle 'Miss Belle', and Belle was as much of a lady as the ghost was (i.e. not much of one).

"Borrow? Do you think of me as such a thing that can be taken at will, like a child's toy or a gardening tool? I think not, and you shouldn't address me like one. Did Larkeicus not teach you common courtesy?" So the ghost knew Larkeicus as well? Veriaulde backed down and sighed:

"Truly sorry ma'am, I forgot you oppress your purpose. Perhaps you can assist us though?" he bowed his head to her and took her hand in his own, looking up into her eyes. The ghost looked to be on agreeing terms, but as she opened her mouth to speak, she seemed to notice Belle rooting about in the crypt again, seeming desperate to get at least a few ten thousand Gil for the stuff within.

"LEAVE IT!" the ghost snapped, breaking away from Veriaulde and holding her arm out to Belle. By the time she'd actually realised she was being confronted and the spirit was building something dark up in her palm, most likely some ancient black magic Veriaulde either didn't know or didn't want to know, there was already a blast of olive green and black light coursing towards her, hitting her square in the chest. Surprisingly, Belle didn't fly back like I expected, but merely collapsed, her face looking almost as white as the ghost's, though damp with sweat beads and looking more pasty than pure white. She looked far worse than she had the day prior when she'd broken her leg, though this time we had no clue what was wrong with her, though the look on the ghost's face gave us some clue that it wasn't a minor medical issue like her fracture. The light had left her eyes and her breathing was slowly becoming ragged and impaired, like she'd been shot in the back. Was it that she was dying?

"My god woman, what have you done to her?" our Yuke companion gasped, more preoccupied with getting information from the tight lipped spectre than actually helping Belle. I was at her side within seconds, investigating her symptoms.

"Belle?" I whispered to her, placing my hand on her forehead. She was deathly cold and limp, one hand feebly clasping her chest as she tried to breathe, her ribs seemingly squeezing the air from her lungs. Amused by Belle's agony, the ghost replied to Veriaulde with a devious smirk on her face:

"Bio is a wonderful spell, is it not? It's pretty useful for silencing young Selkies who cannot follow simple instructions due to greed."

"You POISONED her!" Veriaulde spat, hurling a cure magicite at the ghost in rage. She squeaked and leapt out of the way, becoming slowly invisible as she floated away to safety.

"Am I dying?" Belle rasped. I had a feeling she knew the answer already though, and grief flooded into my veins as I watched her life slowly ebb away before me. I despised he ghost for what she'd done, and if you could kill the undead, I would.

"Fix her," I demanded plainly, "or I'll break your precious cup. You don't want it broken? Why? Surely it's not just your duties. There's more to it, I know it." She reappeared about an inch in front of my face, her eyes glinting with fear.

"You wouldn't dare…" she stammered. I got up and held my gun to the object that lay discarded in the corner of the area.

"Please…" the woman begged.

"This is your power source, is it not? It's your shell, and without it, you'll be nothing. Destroying this will, for want of a better word, kill you. So, any last words before I finish you off?" I loaded it and placed my finger upon the trigger, keeping my aim firmly upon the cup. The tedious spectre changed moods completely and to my surprise, bowed her head to me and addressed me in a formal manner.

"Indeed sir, I shall do your bidding," she affirmed, her voice welled up with fear. Threatening to destroy her was a weak spot, which I'd bare in mind if we ever crossed again. By this time, Belle was far too still for my liking, aside from the rough breathing pattern that lingered on in her frail and dying body. The ghost, quivering at my very presence, began to build up a ball of bluish energy in her palm, before shooting the magic ball at Belle's figure. Blue light erupted from the ground around her and began snaking over her body like ivy winding itself around a post. To be honest, I was rather impressed by the power the woman possessed, having the ability to practically kill someone then nurse them back to full health in seconds. If what I saw before me was her wakened state, I imagined a creature with her immense magic ability could not only deny Jegran but destroy him. As the blue illuminations faded into the black of the night, Belle stirred much to my relief, and attempted to sit up. Drawing away from the cup and returning my gun to its place on my belt, I assigned myself a spot beside her, ensuring everything was okay with her condition. Her dull, reddish eyes met mine weakly and she whispered in a still feeble voice.

"Keiss…"

"Yes Belle?" I felt ever so slightly concerned.

"Why me?"

"I'll never quite understand how your temper works my lady…" Veriaulde affirmed, stood besides myself and Belle with his arms folded across his slim chest.

"I act only because I was made to do so Veriaulde. It is something I have no control over, as like you who has no control over your other self. It is merely an accident of Larkeicus'; all we can do is try not to get set off."

"I'd rather you didn't remind me of that monstrosity that is my burden to bear. It's bad enough being unable to die, let alone being an immortal monster. Anyhow, now is no time for discussion of those matters. My Selkie friends here come from Alfitaria, and your aid is compulsory to transport them home. Lest you wish for the Lilty to vanish."

"Bah, what do I care of the Lilties. More to the point, what do SELKIES care of the Lilties? I know what the Lilties have done to the Yukes, Clavats and Selkies, their cruel dominion splattered across the world of the living like ink on a sheet of paper. The war has been going on for the centuries I've been here. My main priority is to halt the Lilty power before the dead are also affected. As Princess, I have to protect my kingdom," her words were of great passion, something I'd heard before when Goldenrod spoke of the very same thing, the protection of her people. I'd have never guessed this woman was of royal lineage though.

"It's sad that is how you feel. The events that will take place unless we stop it will bring back my own tribe, but I'd rather not see another suffer, especially the Lilty. The Yuke can survive with magic, but the Lilty depend on physical strength. Without their Tribal Crystal, the Lilties will be too unstable even to exist in another world. Time is depleting my Princess. You're needed."

"So the thing you wish to prevent is the resurrection of the Yuke Tribal Crystal? I see now, but I'd rather have Yukes than Lilties."

"The Lilties have done terrible things and have scarred our world," I affirmed gravely, "but I cannot allow them to die… They have brought prosper to the Clavat and Selkie tribes, something we are in desperate need of should we ever fall into a recession. Veriaulde, you're a Yuke… What can stop the curse?" Veriaulde looked grave.

"Only one with supernatural magic power can halt it, I'm sure I've told you this before. Only a Crystal Bearer, most likely one of the tribe that is in denial, can stop it. I take it of the bearers you have listed, 'Goldenrod' is a Yuke, yes?" I nodded, "but Layle is a Clavat and Jegran is… But no, that can't be… He's a monster."

"Jegran IS Lilty, regardless of the colour of his heart," Belle sighed, "he might be our only choice. Or we have it all wrong and the world will always be corrupted, with one tribe reigning over them all and one wiped from existence. The Clavats will always be poor and weak, and we as Selkies are far too rough, the world would fall into calamity if we ruled. Face it Keiss, it's true, we are bad."

"Is it safe to take chances though, that is the question…?" I sighed, picking up a rock and tossing its cool, smooth surface between my finger tips, "nevertheless, before we can do any of this, we need to fly that Airship. Veriaulde says we need that," I pointed to the abandoned cup, "to power it. In other words, we'll need you Princess… either the resurrection or the curse HAS to be stopped and it HAS to be us. It's like fate chose us, it's a requirement we must fulfil. Only Crystal power can fly the Nautilus, fly us back to Alfitaria so we can set things straight. Your kingdom will not be affected, worry not. You owe us for what you did to Belle."

The Undead Princess seemed disapproving, the look on her face not entirely sure and nearing a no.

"Oh and Princess," I grinned a cocky grin, "I know your weakness. One wrong move and you've snuffed it."

That had seemingly done it, as she began to shudder and glide over to the device.

"Very well Master Selkie," she affirmed solemnly, vanishing back into her little home in a flurry of lilac petals. As Veriaulde went to retrieve it and affixed the two parts together, I called out to her.

"The name's Keiss!"


End file.
